Forbes Becomes First Major Media Brand to Experiment with Publishing on Civil Platform

NEW YORK, Oct. 9, 2018 –Forbes, in partnership with Civil, a blockchain journalism network, today announced it will become the first major media brand to begin experimenting with publishing content to the Civil platform.

The arrangement with Civil allows Forbes to experiment with and better understand how publishing content on the blockchain can increase trust with audiences. It also allows Forbes to assess emerging opportunities that can potentially unlock new forms of audience engagement and drive additional revenue streams.

“We are relentlessly focused on rapid experimentation and implementation so that we can determine what’s in the best interest of our audience and what is next for our industry,” said Salah Zalatimo, Senior Vice President of Product & Technology at Forbes. “Forbes and Civil believe passionately in the mission of journalism, and together we can provide audiences with a level of unprecedented transparency around our content. We’ll also be able to expand the reach of our writers and identify new revenue channels over time.”

“Civil’s mission is to power sustainable journalism throughout the world, and Forbes’ commitment to regularly publish content on our platform is a major milestone for our approach,” said Matthew Iles, CEO at Civil. “We look forward to working with Forbes as we connect with a broader audience interested in new, more direct ways to discover, share and support ethical journalism.”

Under the agreement, Forbes in the first quarter of next year will begin to publish metadata from select Forbes articles to the blockchain via Civil, where the information will be permanently archived and cannot be altered by any third party. If all goes well with the experiment, Forbes may begin committing metadata from all of its articles to Civil’s decentralized network at some point later next year.

Publishing the metadata will indelibly establish the author’s identity and credibility, as well as the expert nature of participating sources. A Civil ‘badge’ will appear next to articles on Forbes.com signaling that the content has been inscribed into the blockchain and is published in accordance with Civil’s journalistic values, as detailed in the Civil Constitution. The act of publishing Forbes metadata on Civil also serves as the starting point for potential licensing and syndication technologies in the future.

Civil’s blockchain publishing tools will be integrated into Forbes’ innovative content management system (CMS), known as ‘Bertie.’ Seamlessly integrating blockchain publishing within Bertie enables proven authorship, better control of content rights and permanent archiving. In addition, Forbes will have a presence on the Civil Registry, the community-curated whitelist of newsrooms that run on the Civil protocol. Through the Civil Registry, Forbes’ stable of editors and reporters who cover the crypto beat can interact directly with Civil members, further building audience trust.

The association with Civil is the latest in Forbes’ long legacy of innovation and experimentation. In addition to Bertie, the company recently introduced an enhanced user experience across all of its platforms to provide deeper engagement with audiences and marketing partners and to showcase the brand’s signature style of journalism.

The Forbes editorial team is also rapidly expanding its coverage of the emerging crypto-marketplace. Earlier this year, prominent journalist Michael del Castillo joined Forbes to lead the brand’s crypto-related coverage, which includes Crypto Confidential, a free newsletter that offers a weekly guide to the burgeoning world of crypto assets and blockchain technologies. Forbes also is introducing a premium newsletter, Forbes CryptoAsset & Blockchain Advisor, offering unparalleled investment strategies and insights in this burgeoning market.

About Forbes Media

Forbes, the defining voice of entrepreneurial capitalism, is a global media leader that champions success by celebrating those who have made it, and those who aspire to make it. Forbes convenes and curates the most-influential leaders and entrepreneurs who are driving change, transforming business and making a significant impact on the world. The Forbes brand today reaches nearly 120 million people worldwide every month through the Forbes and ForbesAsia magazines, 40 licensed local editions covering more than 70 countries, Forbes.com, signature LIVE events, a custom research arm, and social and mobile platforms. Forbes Media’s brand extensions include real estate, education and financial services license agreements. For more information, visit: https://www.forbes.com/forbes-media/.

About Civil

Civil is building the new economy for journalism. Its blockchain-based platform facilitates a more direct, peer-to-peer exchange of value between journalists and the people who read, watch and/or listen to their work. On Civil, journalists and readers will work collaboratively to promote a more effective and trustworthy way to discover, share and directly support ethical journalism. This approach is enabled by the CVL token economy, which takes the middleman out of the equation and ensures that journalists and those who support them – not tech giants and billionaire owners – control the model, including where and how revenue is allocated.

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